A swimming pool is a container filled with water that allows people to engage in water-related activities such as swimming. Swimming pools date back to 2500 B.C. in cultures such as Greece, Rome, and Egypt. There is a wide variety of pool types including indoor pools, outdoor pools, hot tubs, and spa pools. Each one of these require proper care and specific maintenance to ensure product longevity and safe swimming conditions for the user. One of the main safety requirements for the majority of swimming pools is the constant internal water pressure. This means that the pool cannot be drained. This is especially important for in-ground pools as removing the water can, and most likely will, cause structural failure as the sidewalls of the pool were not designed to withstand the pressures applied by the exterior soil. As a result of this requirement, owners of swimming pools will leave water in the pool at all times of the year, even during the offseason, i.e. winter. In order to do this, a pool cover is used to prevent rain water, dirt, leaves, and other debris from contaminating the water inside the pool. Traditional pool cover provide adequate protection to the swimming pool but fall short in the removal of rain water and snow that accumulates on the cover, causing the pool cover to sag, tear, and eventually fail. There are systems available on the market which drain excess water from the top of the pool cover, but each one requires some type of maintenance as leaves clog up the piping.
The present invention protects the water inside the swimming pool from debris and excessive sunlight while simultaneously preventing the pool cover from sagging due to rain water and snow. This is achieved through a drainage system which drains only part of the water on the pool cover, leaving debris such as leaves on the cover which could potentially clog up the drainage system. Additionally, the present invention keeps a few inches of water on the pool cover in order to prevent the pool cover from flapping in the wind.